Fighter
by stylewriter565
Summary: Ed is fighting when he gets stabbed....when he gets to the hospital the doctor find that Ed has something that may not be able to be cured. Will ed make it out alive
1. Chapter 1

Edward was fighting hard. Fighting one of the villains that he had heard Mustang talking about while they were in the office. He kicked the man in the face and nodded triumphantly as the guy went down with oomph. However as Ed turned to find a pay phone something happened he did not expect. The man took out a blade and Ed felt it come in contact with his side. He screamed as the blade plowed through his flesh missing his liver but making a deep slit nonetheless. Ed fell face first onto the ground struggling to get up. He couldn't get up. There was so much pain. He collapsed his face twisted into anguish. It began to rain. A light in the apartment above them turned on and the man fled. Ed tried to find his voice he tried to scream for help but nothing would come out. 'All I can do is lay here and wait,' Ed thought as his blood washed into the storm drain.

Meanwhile back at HQ Al was starting to get worried. His brother had gone out a while ago. In military blues too as to try and not be noticed. Al went over to the Lt. Colonel and expressed his concern.

"Colonel my brother has been gone for three hours he should be-"Al was cut off but Roy.

"He will be fine let's give him another hour and if he doesn't come back then we will find him. I'm sure he is safe," Roy replied. Although he too was starting to worry about Edward. It usually didn't take him this long to do a job. An hour came and went and there was still no sign. Mustang decided that it was best if he sent out Hughes and the investigation team. He would go too of course and Al but none of his subordinates were going to some along. They had been searching for hours when one of the soldiers called to Al.

"Hey Al is this your brother?"

Al rushed over to see Ed laying face down in the street.

"Yeah that's…" for the second time AL was cut off.

"AL is that you?" Ed asked weakly.

"Brother you're still awake? We've been looking everywhere for you. Come on brother get up lets go Roy's been looking for you we need to tell him you're alright."

"I can't get up Al," Ed said attempting to life himself onto his elbow. The pain was too much and Ed threw up on the pavement. He collapsed again and lay there heaving in and out trying to breathe.

"Easy Ed I'm gonna go and get Hughes and Mustang. Al stay with him," the soldier rushed off to find Mustang.

Soon Hughes and Mustang were rushing over to where Ed lay.

"SO Fullmetal I heard your having some trouble getting up," Roy smirked coming over to the boy. Ed just nodded. "Well I can help you." With that Roy swiftly picked up Ed and placed him on his feet. Hughes saw a darker mark on the blues but dismissed it as water. Ed stood there momentarily. Roy backed off and saluted him.

"Let's say we get you dried off," Hughes suggested.

"Ye….ahhhh," Ed moaned gritting his teeth as he tried to salute Hughes. The pain was too much though. The salute had pulled his side. He grasped it holding back tears and a blood curdling scream. Ed sank to his knees. HE was on all fours panting. His left hand held his side and his right arm stabilized him. Soon he collapsed again. Hughes and Mustang rushed over to him trying to see what was wrong.

"Ed? Ed what happened? Are you ok? Ed? Say something!" Roy shouted at his subordinate.

Hughes took Ed left hand to check his pulse. When he pulled the hand away the bottom of the glove was crimson. Ed was bleeding and this hadn't just started. He was bleeding badly.

"Roy look," Hughes said holding out Ed's glove.

"What? Ed is that blood? "Ed nodded weakly, "Your blood? What the hell happened?" Ed nodded confirming it was his blood. Roy moved to Ed's side to see how bad the wound was. When his hand neared the wound Ed could no longer contain it. He screamed. A bloodcurdling scream that could be heard for hundreds of yards. Roy looked at the boy with sympathetic eyes. 'Poor kid this must be hurting really bad,' Roy thought, 'But I need to get a look at the wound it will tell me whether or not he needs the hospital.' "Ed we need to take off your jacket I need to get a better look at the wound."

"Please Roy. Please no," Ed gasped in breathes.

"Roy he's losing blood fast. I don't think he'll make it much longer. Roy he needs a transfusion," Hughes stated seeing Edward pale slightly.

"I need to see the wound. It will help me assess the damage. Ed this is gonna hurt," Roy unbuttoned the Blue coat and started to peel it off. Ed screamed again. "Hughes hold his legs." Hughes obeyed and the screaming commenced as Roy took off the boy's jacket. When the jacket was finally off it was time to get the white shirt off. Roy gasped at the fact that the shirt was mostly red. He ripped it off quickly only getting one scream from Edward. Roy gasped at what he saw. The wound was deep. Not deep enough to cut through the liver but still deep. He studied the wound it was red around the edges it was becoming infected.

"Sir?" Hughes said.

"What is it?" Roy asked looking at Hughes.

"He's going into shock Roy. His pulse is uneven Roy we need to get him to a hospital. Herman go call an ambulance," Hughes barked looking at his men. Herman rushed off to call an ambulance while everyone watched the scene. Roy took the bottom of his shirt and ripped it off a piece he pressed it to the wound making Ed scream.

"I'm sorry Ed. It will help. You have to stay with us though Ed you have to stay with us. Ed? ED?" Roy yelled as the boy started to pass out. He shook the boy and gained no response.

"Ed? Come on Ed you have to stay with us," Hughes sat the boy up. Ed's eyes immediately shot open in pain. He started to cough. He coughed harder and harder. Soon he was coughing very hard and uncontrollably. Hughes tried to get him to calm down but nothing worked. Liquid started coming out of Ed's mouth. It was blood. The red liquid fell from his mouth in waterfall like motions.

"Easy Ed. It's gonna be ok. The ambulance is on its way," as Roy said this the ambulance sped up and parked on the street. The paramedics got out and saw Ed lying in the street. They picked him up and loaded him into the ambulance.

"We will need both of you to come with us in the ambulance," one of the paramedics said motioning to Roy and Hughes. "We are taking him to Central General if anyone would like to follow in the car."

Roy and Hughes jumped into the ambulance and watched as Ed winced in pain when the paramedic pushed another cloth into his side. The ambulance sped off with Herman and Al close behind in the military car. Ed had broken into a sweat in the ambulance. The paramedic noticed and put a hand to the kid's forehead.

"Jack speed this thing up or we're gonna lose him," he said and the ambulance hit 60 going down the road with the siren on. Roy and Hughes exchanged nervous glances as they sped toward the hospital.

"How is he doing?" Roy asked hesitantly.

"Not good sir his vitals are horrible. I'm surprised he hasn't died yet," The paramedic said taking out a blood pressure cuff.

"What are they?"

"His temperature is 101 something to be noted but not overly concerned with. Blood pressure is horrible: 65/45. Heart rate bad too 115 beats per minute. He shouldn't be alive sir. He shouldn't. And the blood around his mouth worries me."

"He is a fighter. He was coughing up blood before," Hughes stated.

Before they knew it the ambulance had pulled up to the hospital. The paramedics put Ed on a stretcher and rushed him into the ER. Once inside they explained the situation to the nurse and she admitted Ed immediately. Doctors rushed to the aide of the boy and took him back into the room. They took his vitals again and realized the boy was going into shock. They put a warm blanket from the dryer around the shoulders of the boy as they began to work on the wound. Meanwhile in the waiting room Roy and Hughes waited impatiently. They paced back and forth until the heard a doctor call for the people who were with Edward Elric. Both of the men bolted to the doctor.

"Is he OK?" Hughes asked concern crossing his face.

"He's not doing terrific but as good as we can expect after having 259 stitches put in his side. That wound was getting infected. We have him on a transfusion and some antibiotics for the infection. The paramedic told me about the coughing up of blood. We chalked it up to he was going into shock, nothing to worry about."

The doctor led the two men back to where Edward was laying. Roy looked at Ed with sad eyes. 'He's been through so much and look at him now,' Roy thought looking at the kid. That's all he was he was just a really tough kid. Al arrived shortly after and came back. Gasping at what he saw lying in the bed. Surely that couldn't be his brother. The strong brave brother that he had always known. No this couldn't be the same person it just couldn't. After a few hours and two bags of blood Ed was moved to a normal room and another bag of blood was attached to him. He slept peacefully for the rest of the night. Mustang was put on duty for the night and watched as Ed slept.

Roy was awakened by a noise and opened his eyes to realize he had fallen asleep in the chair. He looked around to see a very confused and angry Ed awake in his bed.

"Hey Ed," Mustang started.

"Where the hell am I?" Ed asked looking at Roy.

"In Central General. You should have died last night."

"Well maybe I would-"Ed was shouting and started to cough. The coughs racked the small body making Ed wince in pain due to the wound.

"Ed? You OK?"

Ed shook his head no as red liquid spilled onto the sheets. It didn't stop. Ed couldn't make the coughing stop. Hot copper liquid spilled from his throat for the next five minutes. Mustang looked on in horror only to be interrupted by the beeping of a machine. He looked over at the monitor. The heart rate was fine, his pulse was elevated but that's not what concerned Roy. What concerned him was the temperature. It had spiked. The reading on the monitor was 105 degrees. 'This isn't good,' Roy thought just when his savior walked in. Hughes.

"Roy I came to..." He was cut off by Roy giving him an order.

"Hughes get me a nurse, Ed's not doing to good."

"Roy w-why is it so hot in here?" Ed asked gasping for breath.

"You have a fever Ed. Hughes has gone to get someone. Hang in there."

A nurse came rushing into the room and ran out again to find a doctor. Soon enough the doctor that had Ed's case was rushing into the room to help with the problem. He looked at the nurse.

"Get a team together we need to stabilize this kid," he ran over to Ed.

"Help me," Ed said before he passed out. The doctor looked at the monitor. The temperature was critical. 106.5. Enough to cause brain damage. The team rushed in to save the kid before it was too late. Soon after many ice packs and an injection of Tylenol via the port in Ed's IV his temperature had come down to 100.2. Still a bit high but it was still going down. When Ed was fully stable the doctor looked at the kid and sighed. 'He shouldn't have coughed up blood again. Something isn't right here,' the doctor thought as he looked at the kid passed out on the bed.

"We will need to get a chest x-ray after this kid wakes up I don't want to move him yet," the doctor said. All of the team nodded and walked out of the room. "It was a good thing you got us when you did. He could have dies if you two hadn't acted quickly."

"Thank you doctor," Roy and Maes said together. The doctor left the room.

"You can head out Roy," Hughes said looking at Roy who looked absolutely tired out of his mind.

"No I think I'll stay and see what happens with the chest X-ray," Roy said and sat down in the chair.

"Alright if you're sure. Why don't you at least get something to eat."

"Yeah, I'll be back in a little," Roy said as he left the room.

Hughes was alone with Ed. "What's happening to you kid?" Hughes asked himself more than anyone. He sat there for a while reading. He looked up from his book and set it aside as his green eyes were met with golden ones.

"Hey Ed," Maes said looking at the boy.

"Hey, ugh I feel terrible Hughes. My chest feels like it is going to explode. Is my fever down?" Ed asked sighing heavily.

"Yeah you're doing better Ed but I have to get your doctor. He told us to get him when you woke up. I'll be back in a moment."

The doctor walked in looking surprised that his patient was awake.

"Hello Ed I'm surprised you're awake this fast after that horrible episode. But I want to get some chest X-rays," the doctor finished smiling.

"And just who the hell are you?" Ed asked venom in his words.

"Ed," Hughes sighed in exasperation.

"I'm Dr. James. I'll be your primary doctor. Do you think you can manage to walk to the hallway and we can wheel you from there to the X-ray room?"

"Yeah sure I can. I can walk the whole way there if you like," Ed said swinging his legs over the bed. He held onto the metal railing and put his automail leg down first. He stood up wincing slightly at the pain in his side. He then put his right foot forward to take a step leaning all his weight on it. He screamed in pain and fell to the floor. 'Shit what…..that's right in the alley he crushed my leg with something. But it didn't hurt then….must have been adrenaline,' he thought as the doctor and Hughes rushed over to where he was. Hughes looked into the gold eyes brimming with tears.

"Ed?" Hughes inquired looking into the boys eyes.

"Look like you did a number to that leg son. Or whoever attacked you did?" The doctor said examining the foot.

"Yeah h-he dropped something heavy on my leg. But why didn't it hurt earlier?" Ed asked as pain shot through his whole leg.

"Probably the shock and adrenaline. I'll X-ray that too and we can get it fixed up ok?"

"Thanks doc," Ed replied as Hughes carried him to the wheelchair in the hallway. Ed sighed as he was set in it. He hated being an invalid. But he figured since he couldn't walk much less put weight on his foot he would have to put up with the babying. Soon the three of them were at the X-ray room and Ed didn't like what he saw. He had never had an X-ray before and wasn't sure he wanted to go through with this.

"It won't hurt and it will only take about twenty minutes," the doctor said. Ed nodded and they proceeded to set up the room. Ed got slightly nervous as he laid on the cold table a lead blanket covering his body besides his face. But before he knew it the doctor and Hughes were coming back in to get him. He was wheeled back to his room where he saw Roy sitting in a chair reading Alchemy Quarterly.

"Oh Ed you're back. How are you feeling?" Roy asked looking at the kid in a wheelchair.

"Oh fine more or less," Ed responded as Hughes carried him to his bed and placed him there gently.

"What's with letting Hughes carry you around like a kid. You hate being babied," Mustang responded in shock as Ed let Hughes carry him.

"I hurt my leg and can't walk. The damn attacker threw something heavy on my leg and they X-rayed it to see if anything was broken."

"Oh? Well I'm glad to see that you are doing somewhat better."

"Thanks."

"Sorry to interrupt gentlemen, but Ed I just wanted to tell you that your X-rays will be back in a few hours Ok?"

"Sounds good to me thanks doc," Ed said slumping back into the bed. His side hurt and he had antibiotics dripping into him through a tube. How much worse could things get. Little did he know that his world was about to get turned upside down. He passed the time talking with Hughes and Roy about what had happened and asked multiple questions about what was going on in central. Soon enough the doctor walked back through the door holding a folder in his hands.

"I have the results Ed," he said not looking at the boy. Roy noticed this right away.

"What's the matter doctor?" Roy asked.

"I'm sorry to inform you men but the results aren't good. Especially for the chest X-ray. Ed you have fungal pneumonia. It's rare and extremely harmful. We'll have to get you on antifungals and oxygen therapy as soon as you're out of surgery."

"What's the surgery for?" Hughes asked alarmed that Ed needed surgery.

"Well it's not really true surgery we just need to knock him out for a while. Ed your leg. It's pretty badly broken. I'm sorry."

"Will he be able to walk again?" Roy asked quickly.

"Oh yes Mr. Elric will be back on his feet eventually but it make take some time. About twelve weeks considering the compound fracture in your lower leg and the small fracture in your femur. Now let's get you knocked out and prepped to get your leg fixed up."

Ed was once again wheeled to some strange unknown location. They knocked him out and the doctors set the leg skillfully and swiftly. The cast that went onto the eldest Elric's leg wasn't small either. It traveled from his foot to his hip only leaving the toes exposed. The doctor looked at the poor kid. 'He has severe pneumonia and now a leg in a cast for twelve weeks not to mention those stitches in his side. Poor kid it looks like he could use a break from life for a while. 'Ed was taken back to his room and his leg was propped up on a pillow to provide some amount of support. The doctor knew that he needed to talk to Ed alone at some point but now he needed to have a discussion with the two CO.

"Excuse me men but can I have a word with you while Ed is still out?" The doctor asked.

"Of course," Roy responded.

"Men I want to tell you something about the pneumonia Edward has contracted. He didn't get it from last night," the doctor looked at both the men. Hughes was the first to respond.

"What do you mean?"

"This type of pneumonia is cause by fungi. It doesn't start overnight and it isn't a thing that goes away in a week or two. Ed has most likely had this strain for about three months. He must have his it very well. If he hadn't of come in when he did the illness would have cost him his life."

Mustang and Hughes stared at the doctor in shock. Ed had been sick for months and never bothered to tell anyone? How could he do that? It was like Ed to hide things but something as serious as pneumonia?

"There still is a chance that even after everything we have done…he may still die. There is just no way to know," the doctor said.

"How do we tell him?" Roy asked still not believing that Fullmetal could have hidden it for so long.

"I'll tell him, I've been the bearer of bad news so far," the doctor said getting up.

**A/N: What do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ed woke up in a strange place. He tried to figure out where he was. Then he remembered he was in the hospital he had been attacked in an alley. He looked down at his leg and noticed the cast. 'Ugh,' he thought, 'It was bad enough to lose a leg but now to break the perfectly good one. That's just some good old irony.' Ed sat up quickly to look around. That was a huge mistake. He started to cough and cough and cough. _'Oh shit they're gonna find out about my condition,' _Ed thought as he started to cough up blood.

"Ed you have fungal pneumonia," the doctor said while placing an oxygen mask over the young man's face. Ed nodded. "You know?" the doctor asked in shock. Ed nodded again. "Did you know how serious it was?" Ed nodded. "Well let us hope you make it out alive." The doctor made Ed comfortable and walked out of the room. Roy and Hughes were sitting in the chairs next to Ed's bed. Hughes was looking away from the bed and Roy was pinching the bridge of his nose. Ed knew that could only mean one thing. Roy stood up and walked over to the bed. *Thwack* sounded Roy's hand as it met with Ed's cheek.

"What the hell were you thinking Elric?" Roy commanded his voice booming.

Ed took the mask off his face, "I had to keep going to find the Philosopher's Stone."

"Well you really can't if you're dead."

" Hughes back me up. It was a noble thing to do."

That's when Hughes lost it. He stood up towering a bit above Roy and looked at the eldest Elric brother. Hughes had fire in his eyes and an evil look to his face.

"That was not noble. That is the most idiotic reason I have ever heard for not telling your commanding officers you were sick. Roy is right you are no good to your brother dead. Your no good to him now hospitalized. This illness could have taken over you. You're small and it could spread very quickly," Hughes immediately regretted using small in the sentence. Ed took his monitor stand and smacked Hughes in the shin causing the man to double over in pain. Roy gave Ed an evil glance that said, 'even in the hospital you still get upset over being called small when the person is talking about your health. Ed glared back at Roy. He hated to be called small even if it was for his health. No one wants to be reminded of their size at any point in their life. Ed knew that his Cos had won the battle. He rested against the pillows sighing deeply. 'I want to give up this fight, I want to die, but I can't because Al still needs me. He needs me to be there for him,' Ed thought

"Ed are you gonna be alright?" Roy asked.

"I don't know," Ed said looking at Roy while putting his oxygen mask back on. He looked at Roy with pleading golden eyes. Roy knew what the stare meant. It meant, 'Take care of AL if I well you know,'

Roy stormed angrily out of the room with a confused Hughes looking at him.

"What was up with that?" Hughes asked.

Ed just shrugged his shoulders pretending he had no clue what had just gone on between him and Roy. He couldn't get it out of his head though. He couldn't accept the fact that he was weak. Too weak to even take care of himself let alone his brother. He thought for a while all the time looking at Hughes. Ed felt a tickle in his throat as he watched Hughes. He started to cough. And cough. And cough. Ed just couldn't stop coughing. He knew why of course but he didn't like it. He looked over to Hughes who was standing up to come over to him.

"Ed what's wrong? What do you need me to do? Ed?" Hughes asked.

Ed motioned for the mask to be taken off and Hughes obliged carefully removing the oxygen from the kid's face. Ed kept coughing. Hughes though he was literally going to cough up one of his organs. Ed sat there retching coughs trying to stay alive. Hughes pressed the nurse alert button and a nurse came rushing in just in time to see Ed coughing up blood. She ran out of the room once again hitting her pager. "We need a doctor in her Mr. Elric is unstabalizing. Get a crash team." When Roy heard this he flew back into Ed's room. Looking at the boy he gasped. Ed was spitting up a lot of blood some dripping on the sheets most of it covering his shirt.

The nurse came rushing back with the crash team. Ed looked at the nurse. 'This is the biggest battle that I'm going to have to fight. I wonder if I can do it. I hope I make it out alive.' After that everything went black.


End file.
